Wednesday19 February 2025
g-novosti.in.ua

Former advisor to Zaluzhny on Syrski: Even if the most advanced NATO general were in his position, the situation wouldn’t improve— it could actually get worse.

Former advisor and later consultant to the ex-Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Major General Viktor Nazarov, shared his views in an interview with "BBC News Ukraine" (published on February 2). He stated that the "depth and scale" of changes in the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not solely depend on the current Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Бывший советник Залужного о Сырском: Даже если бы на его месте был лучший генерал НАТО, ситуация не улучшилась бы, а могла бы стать еще хуже.

According to Nazarov, the commander-in-chief, who is directly responsible for the situation at the front, cannot handle this alone.

"Syrskiy, the commander-in-chief, has nothing at his disposal: he lacks resources, funding, and reserves. Someone needs to create these reserves. This includes human resources, financial resources, economic factors, and all other social elements necessary for him to perform his duties. The surnames of the commanders-in-chief do not influence this," emphasized the major general.

Nazarov believes that it may even be "more challenging for Syrskiy now than it was for Zaluzhny."

"Because our resources are depleting, people are getting tired, and all these signs affect the overall situation in the army. But Ukraine is holding on, and it has endured this year, including maintaining the front line. When they say we have a 'catastrophe at the front' – well, of course, we are retreating, we are pulling back, and these are objective factors. But it could have been worse," noted the major general.

Nazarov asserts that "even if the most experienced, well-known, and advanced NATO general were in Alexander Stanislavovich's place right now – it wouldn’t improve the situation, it would get worse."

"Because a new general would immediately raise the question: where are my NATO principles and standards? How can I advance without air superiority? Where are my long-range strike capabilities? What is the extent of the enemy's firepower? – emphasized Nazarov. – We are doing this without even having the approaches that are inherent to the principles of conducting military operations from the perspective of our NATO partners."